Kristin Hersh has had her turn and now former Throwing Muses drummer David Narcizo is stepping forward. Along with collaborator Frank Gardner, and a selection of guest musicians, Narcizo has produced an album that is unsurprisingly percussion driven, but also shows eastern influences.
The wood blocks on the first track are accompanied by vocalized sounds which give the first hint of eastern-influenced melodies. As the recording progresses, the impression it gives is lo-fi eastern dance, with a healthy dose of live drums and bass. It doesn't go as far into Asian dance as Talvin Singh, but the third track is slightly reminiscent of a couple of Secret Archives of the Vatican's recent experiments.
Kristin Hersh lays down some guitar loops on the third track, "the veil," which is an intriguing mixture of samples and haunting keyboard. The repetition of the word "truth" coupled with the images of frustration that the music hints at is intriguing, but for those looking for hints of spiritual direction from this CD there is little that does more than make you wonder.
A couple of tracks feel a little labored, those who are looking for songs with consistent vocal tracks will be frustrated listening to this. But it's an interesting experiment and certainly a departure from Throwing Muses. It'll be interesting to see where David Narcizo and Frank Gardner take us next.
4 tocks
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